The Foreign Service Journal, June 2006

82 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U N E 2 0 0 6 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT who are determined to continue liv- ing overseas, it may be the only alter- native. (See Resources, pp. 84-85, for more homeschooling information.) How can FS parents find the right program or school abroad for their children? “First, look at your list and try to narrow it down to those posts which might be more obvious choices as far as resources available,” advises Susan Ford, a special needs parent current- ly in Mexico City. “Then, I would get the school list from the Office of Overseas Schools, and contact the schools directly, either by e-mail or phone,” Ford continues. “Often the schools will be able to tell you what’s available in that city, and sometimes they have specialists within their schools. Or they might be willing to bring some- one in to work with your child. This would be an additional expense, but one which the special education allowance would cover.” (For the most current information on the Special Education Allowance, go to http://www.state.gov/m/a/als/1740. htm.) Ford’s experience in finding resources has not been smooth, how- ever. “While A/OS has a list of schools offering special ed,” she adds, “they tell you that the info is self- reported, and that you have to dou- ble-check everything. We had a few schools that just never responded.” “My first resource is always the embassy,” says Mari O’Connor, cur- rently in Lisbon, whose son Christo- pher has IDIC (15) — an extra partial 15th chromosome that has left him severely disabled. “I ask the nurse and CLO about international schools, and local schools, and for a local con- tact whom I could tap for information. I also look at the State Depart- ment post report as well as ‘Real Post Reports.’ And I e-mail the Office of Overseas Schools and ask for guid- ance. It is a long process best started early.” Another parent comments that “we’re told to direct questions to the CLO at post, but sometimes the A family may discover that in fact there are resources at post that the State Department is not aware of. “W hat happens when I return to the U.S. with a special needs child?” “How can I pick the best school to meet my child’s needs?” “What happens if we are here in between assignments?” Important questions, but difficult to answer. If you asked your local school system, “Which of your schools offer the best LD sup- port programs?” the answer very likely would be, “All of them do an excellent job.” While many of the schools in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area offer excellent special education programs, there are subtle differences between them. It is these differences that can determine whether a program works well for your child or does not. Differences in schools are found in the personnel, the skill of the special education staff and the overall make-up of the student body. But how do you know which of these factors will most affect your child’s learning experience? A school’s glowing reputation doesn’t necessarily ensure a perfect fit for your child, nor does the lack of one mean there aren’t a number of children who have found great success there. A good place to start your online school research is the Virginia School Report Card. The report groups schools by division as well as listing individual institutions, and provides very detailed statis- tical and demographic information regarding size, student body, test scores, graduation rates, and more. The Family Liaison Office’s Web site at www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/c1958.htm pr ovides a link to the Virginia School Report Card and a similar tool for the state of Maryland under Washington Area Schools. Does Your Child Qualify? Determining if your child qualifies for special education services in the U.S. will most likely be a different procedure than what you may have experienced overseas at an international school (be aware that a diagnosis of attention deficit disorder may not be enough to qualify). The difference begins with the Individual Education Plan, essentially a contract between the school and the family, which out- lines the child’s needs and how educational goals will be set to meet those needs. The IEP is a pivotal part of the Federal mandate under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act. An “IEP” written by an overseas school does not have the legal status of an IEP written by an American public school. (An excellent article, “Understanding the IEP Process,” may be found on the LD Online Web site at Returning to the U.S. with a Special Needs Child By Becky Grappo, Education Youth Officer, Family Liaison Office Continued on page 86